 |
| Dark wallpaper for my AmigaOS 4.1 FE Upd 1 |
Been busy doing some Amiga music and learning my way of the sampling with my AmigaOne 500 aka SAM460ex.
Since my last blog, my Amiga setup has undergone quite a lot of changes and improvements. More on them later in this blog, as you read on.
The most noticeable changes I have done to my AmigaOS 4.1 FE Update 1 setup with Workbench Enhancer 1.5, is that I have improved the look of the old AmiDock.
The users of the new X-Dock from Workbench Enhancer might wonder why still using AmiDock. Simply because most applications and functions in the AmigaOS4 are still greatly tied to AmiDock, and AmiDock still has a better look than X-Dock, in the way you customize the look. For instance, I have made my AmiDock look like a fully transparent, skinny black MacOS-dock, wich you can see on the snapshot below.
 |
| Black-styled fully transparent AmiDock |
Covid-19 Amiga Isolation
 |
| The Covid-19 Pandemi |
We all know that the Covid-19 pandemi started with China in the end of December 2019 in Wuhan.
Since then, it has spread to just about all countries in the whole world. Belgia, Italy, Spain and USA were greatly affected by the virus. Also countries like UK, Sweden and Norway were affected as well. Many died as well, and others were hospitaled. Others in quarantine and those of us not infected, are in what we call a self-imposed isolation, to prevent infection by following the recommendations the world have gotten from WHO and governments in our own country.
So far, my family of my mother at age 76, my brother at age 47 and myself turning 45 in June, are NOT infected by Covid-19 but we have chosen to isolate ourselves as much as we can and to simply follow the recommendations from our governments in Norway.
Norway reacted a little late as a start. That's back in February, but since then, Norway has done an incredible job closing most of the country down, keeping the infection as low as possible. Some schools are opening up slowy these days. The children need to be able to see their friends and get some education, but in a limited way still keeping a clear distance between others, as already heard from the news so many times.
 |
| Still looking good in self-imposed Covid-19 isolation |
While the Covid-19 pandemi certainly causes quite a different daylife, it also brings back a so-called "bedroom-creativity" that the Amiga had in its' golden years of the 80s. No kidding!
Where others are trying to do unique things from home, Amiga users are now also able to use the pandemi to create something again with their Amiga. To actually use the Amiga to its' absolute limit and create something straight from the bedroom! Being games, apps, design, coding, programming, music, animation, video, writing or anything.
All this is really possible if given time to be creative. The isolation itself from the pandemi is frustrating enough but necessary for survival. Rather than being frustrated and negative, why not simply do something good with this difficult situation, and what better there is to actually use your Amiga to create or compose something, both for the Amiga itself and for personal reasons? You see what I mean? The bedroom-creativity!
The more we all around the world follow the recommendations to avoid more infection and death, the faster and better we can get back to normal once the pandemi is over!
Odyssey 1.23r5 Beta 5 - The latest improvement of Odyssey Web Browser
 |
| My Aminet stuffs with Odyssey 1.23r5 Beta 5 |
As you see from the snapshot to the left here, I am now using latest Odyssey 1.23r5 Beta 5, which has been improved by Kas1e and 2 other guys working with him.
It was a great welcome to see the old browser version 1.23 from 2012, being improved and updated!
This is another fine example of how you can use the pandemi-isolation to do something useful with your Amiga.
It doesn't stop here. Kas1e is even working on porting Odyssey 1.25 with latest Webkit to AmigaOS4! Odyssey Web Browser is the most modern browser the Amiga has, and it's really great to see this excellent browser being developed further. We certainly need that!
OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c running a permanent NSM plugin
 |
| The OMSS NSM plugin in User_Startup |
The snapshot to the right here shows how the NSM plugin for OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c is set to always run, when running the tracker program. Allow me to explain.
The NSM plugin is an extremely useful and flexible plugin for OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c, which I run on my AmigaOne 500 aka SAM460ex, along with the unique TheMaestrix AHI tool created by Damien Stewart, that tricks your AHI soundcard into thinking it's a 16-bit Maestro Pro soundcard. This one runs in WBStartup.
The NSM plugin is like an Arexx script of sort, but it far extends the features of OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c, ways beyond its' standard limitations! For instance, what I have noticed when running OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c with the plugin, is that it doesn't show a GR message anymore! Well, you can't quit the tracker within AmigaOS4, but that doesn't matter.
Even the mixing routines to use more than 4 channels in 16-bit stereo are greatly improved and feel more effective. Sound also seem to hear much clearer. Everything far more effective than what it was in standard form! I greatly recommend to put the NSM plugin to always run in the User_Startup, since it uses a RUN command anway. It certainly works great for me!
 |
| Atlantis 13ch track in OMSS with NSM plugin |
To demonstrate an example. When playing multi-channel tracks like my Atlantis 13ch track, it sounds a lot clearer when NSM plugin is always running with the tracker.
No wonder that the NSM plugin brings new life to the old famous tracker!
It's now more fun to use OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c to create music!
In addition, I have also learnt to do some sampling by using my Huawei 2019 Smart mobile as a digital audio recorder. It's really easy!
The mobile has a recorder app that I simply just can use to record any sound I pick up. Then I send them to my email and open them up with the Freeware application called Audacity on PC. From there, I convert to 16-bit stereo WAV samples, then I further edit them in OctaMED SoundStudio v1.03c's own Sample Editor on my AmigaOne 500. It's really cool!
If you got to listen to "Spirit Of A Reindeer", which is currently my latest Amiga mod uploaded to both Aminet and YouTube, you'll notice that it uses my sampled voice! Some whistling, some singing phrases and talking. The track is really nice. Short but nice.
In the coming days, I will jump into my very own Covid-19 Amiga project called "Isolated". A collection of 13 different Amiga tracks related to the Covid-19 situation. My first track from this collection will actually be "Covid-19". It's intend to be a Hip Hop track with some rap from myself and some fancy rhythms. More on that later on. Work starts this week as you read.
If you want to optain my Amiga music, you can go directly to these links below.
If you want to look at my Amiga videos, learning of my Amiga system and how I use it, then you can visit this playlist on YouTube: HKvalhe's Video
Well, that's all folks! See you in another blog in not too distant future.
Remember, keep safe, stay at home, and follow the recommendations to survive the Covid-19 pandemi, avoiding infection and further spread of the virus. God bless you all!
Written by
Helge Kvalheim, Norway
